Sinai News

I am in a dilemma. In fact Sinai 4 You should attract and encourage tourists to visit the Sinai. I should write about events and attractions, places to visit, the beauty the Sinai has to offer. And yes, Sinai is a mystifying place to be. Sinai has something for everyone. Luxury hotels, nature, indigenous people, biblical history and beyond,… divers can explore the underwater world, adventurers can explore the desert to the extent of even taking part in a survival training in the magnificent desert… meditation courses or just a sun and fun holiday.
Up to now I can strongly recommend visiting the Sinai. But there are also things that are heartbreaking like some strange developments happening here.

Let us take the road to Dahab. There are about 8 km from the checkpoint to Dahab town, a stretch of nowhere land, a piece of beautiful desert scenery. A few years ago someone decided to decorate the middle strip with different kinds of plants. One drove with a nice feeling along this road, on one hand the magnificent mountains on the other hand a line of greenery.
Yesterday I drove this road and I found many construction workers were busy to erect what seems like a kind of pedestrian way on both sides of the road. Not done with this. It seemed that the middle strip would be paved as well, and partly the plants looked very miserable. Not enough, I discovered a wall was build next to the walk way. Though it was made out of natural stone and not very high, the wall somehow blocked the view and took much from the beauty of the whole scenery.
Let’s count how much it takes to construct a 8 km long walking path, exactly 4 x 8 km long x 1 m wide. Who will use it anyway? Is it a way for people on foot? But nobody is walking there. No people are living there, no buildings are there either. Is it a frame? A picture frame gives emphasis to the picture. What is the picture, the asphalt road and not the picturesque mountain scenery? Why is the dumping place ruining the beautiful colors of the mountains visible from the road and why is this money not spent on a proper waste system? I am confused.

beautiful scenery - unfenced

Why?

Now let us move to Nuweiba. Less than a year ago the town of Nuweiba saw a renovation of the road system. Almost all roads widened. Partly it was necessary; partly it only encourages fast driving. A few months later our old pedestrian ways vanished. New ones are build often knee high and wide, approx 1 m. But again: who will use them? It is impossible that small children, mothers with buggies, old and handicapped people can climb onto these monsters. But they are useful as a bench when one is tired of walking too much asphalt. Even our highway, the road Taba – Nuweiba sees these developments. I haven’t seen people using this way very often. U-Turns and roundels seem to be the hit now. Even in the middle of nowhere circles are built, but lacking any informative street and direction signs.
I don’t count the km of this new road system, but I am asking myself, why is all this money spent in places of no use, while in Tarabin, the commercial center of Nuweiba, at least it is still known as the touristic center of Nuweiba, a paved and unsecured way leads to the entrance of Tarabin and then it continues over uneven dirt road with no lights. Especially since the drop in tourism businesses have to save money and they close the electric lights early or according to the visitors.
A tourist arriving to Tarabin in the evening will get a shock. First of all he is blocked by barrels that hinder cars to enter. He continues on foot and finds a chain blocking him. On his right hand he senses an opening near the wall of the neighbouring camp. On the other side he has to climb onto the steps of the building that starts just behind the barrier, because the opening where the chain ends is blocked with debris.
Ok, after the Sinai bombings it is definitely important and a must to secure all tourist places. But does this mean by keeping away the tourist that the place will be safe? Is this the intention of the barrier at the southern entrance of Tarabin?
Unfortunately tourists don’t come, because they don’t feel welcomed, there is no income for these camps and small hotels and not for the bazaars inside Tarabin and therefore there is no investment in necessary development and infrastructure - may it be just to keep the lights on to attract tourists. There isn’t even a security person who watches over the barrier and who would be able to open the chain for the people on foot, mainly tourists who usually respect locked places, and certainly don’t jump over fences.

Can be used as a bench

how do we enter?

to whom can they sell?